


Excerpts from the Journal of C. Tucker

by treefrogie84



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Diary/Journal, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-01-27 19:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21397213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treefrogie84/pseuds/treefrogie84
Summary: In the autumn of 2003, Chris Tucker is supposed to be flirting with cute girls in her physics class and teasing her brother about his girlfriend.Instead, she goes on a disastrous hunt. The creature hunting in the woods of northern Oregon wasNOTa black dog.Oops.
Comments: 25
Kudos: 3
Collections: SPNColdestHits





	1. C'mere, Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Occasionally, you create a tabletop RPG character who not only gets stats on a character sheet, but also pinterest boards, playlists, and 23 pages of hunter's journal set before the game even starts. (There's entries of every story arc for this campaign too, but I didn't want to deal with those.)
> 
> So, a lot of thanks go to my GM and my tablemates for looking at me like I've gone crazy when I checked to see if anyone cared if I used this.

October 10, 2003 | 

Hunting a Black Dog is not how I wanted to spend a Friday night. I should be going on a date or some shit, there's that cute girl in physics I've been trying to work up the courage to ask out for ages. Should have done that. If I had, I could be sitting in a movie theater watching that new Kill Bill movie. Instead, I'm going to spend the evening listening to Josh bitch about how he had to cancel his date with Teresa, even though I could totally take care of this on my own, but mom has that whole no solo hunts bullshit going. It's not like it's hard to stick a bullet in a dog's brain.

Don't get me wrong, black dogs suck. But aside from size and speed, they have all the same weaknesses as a normal dog. Geez. Not like I'm hunting down one of those Grim things from Harry Potter (seriously, how awesome would it be to be an animagus?)

And Josh just came in whinging about canceling his damn date. Fuckit. Told him to just go, I'll take care of it and mom and dad will never be the wiser. Anything so I don't have to listen to him all night.  
  
---|---  
  
Shit. Shit. Shit. That was NOT a black dog. Can't believe I just fucked up this bad. Need to get out. Would it be better if they think I'm alive or dead? Am I going to be alive or dead? Maybe if I can stay away from people, I can survive. But if I can't. What if I hurt someone. Mom or Dad will find out, they'll have to kill me. Can't make them do that. My own fault.

I'm home now. Josh should be home soon. Oh, gods, he's going to feel like this is his fault. Why wasn't I more careful? I know better than to trust someone else's info. It wasn't Josh's fault, it was mine. I'm the one who said I could handle it, that I didn't need back up, that I would cover for him so he could spend some time with Teresa.

Plan: wait for Josh to get home. He knows I'm alive. Leave everything. Go to National Forest. Live there until I know if I'm going to change. If I do, there's a silver knife in my pack. If not, I can come home with some bullshit story.

Do I leave a note? Yes. I'm sorry. Sorry I fucked up. Sorry I'll never see my family again. Sorry that I've become something for them to hunt.

Silver bullet. Silver knife. A full tank of gas. Steal one of the small tents and some of the silver handcuffs. Want to make this easy to clean up. Don't want to punish other people for my fuck up. If I go to one of the campgrounds, I'll have to use the knife, don't want to worry anyone with the gunshot.

Take my bike. Need easy transport to St. Joe's. Seems fitting, patron saint of happy deaths and travelers. It won't be happy, but maybe those in charge of sorting will take pity on me. There's some loophole for the greater good or to avoid mortal sin, right? I guess either way, I'm murdering someone, so maybe there isn't a loophole.  
  
October 11, 2003 | 

I guess this is it. Last sunset as a human. It's 5:45, Sunset is at 6:09, moonrise is at 6:54. Not sure which will matter.

I hope my family forgives me. I'm not feeling the need to murder yet, but I'm pretty deep in the woods right now. So maybe it's proximity based? I should be far enough away to not hurt anyone.

Ma, Pa, if you're reading this, I'm sorry. Don't be mad at josh. He just wanted to be a teenager instead of babysitting his sister. And I told him I could handle it. I'm sorry I fucked up. I just didn't want to put this on you. I'm sorry. I can't even make it look like an accident, needs to be sure, need to make sure I don't hurt anyone. I'm chaining myself to the tree now (holy fuck, that silver hurts). I love you. I'm sorry.  
  
October 12, 2003 | 

I don't remember anything past putting this out of reach last night. My clothes are torn up, and I'm covered in scratches. Except my wrist, which looks like I took an iron to it. Guess that means I turned last night.

What am I going to do? It was so much clearer yesterday and Friday. Because I don't actually want to die. And last night proved that I can be chained up, and if not safe, at least only hazardous. Per the lore, I'm human 95% of the time. That's more time human than most drug users. But a drug user wont' cut out someone's heart and eat it.

Can I actually trust myself? That's the real question. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want to force anyone to put me down, and I don't want to die. As long as I'm not hurting folks, I'll deal with the chains and hiding.

Can you trust yourself? With chains and silver when you're on your own and can never tell another soul. Can't go home, can't ever relax, can never see your family again. Never finish school. The only thing remotely qualified to do is wait tables and hunt monsters. It's going to be awful and lonely. But I'll be alive. Just can't relax, be comfortable. If another hunter finds out, they'll kill me and probably curse me for not being brave enough to do it myself.

Guess I can try it. Keep to the state parks and national forests. Keep a silver knife ready to do the necessary. Don't put folks in danger. Learn what I can about any packs around. NEVER put folks in danger, even if it means jumping off a cliff with silver around my hands and neck, a blade lined up to my heart.  
  
October 13, 2003 | 

I guess this isn't a nightmare. Woke up screaming anyway. Not sure at all how I'm going to deal with this. I'm getting out of hunting. I'm going to need to learn control, and killing things isn't going to be helping with that. Find a quiet out of the way place to hide away from the world, keep away from everyone who goes looking for me. Pick up yoga and tea. Not moving on for a few more days though. Rest of my life is going to be lonely and far away from home. Might as well enjoy it until folks start looking for me.  
  
**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Chris Tucker is named after the actor. Because one of the other characters was pretty much Jackie Chan from Rush Hour and I needed a character name.
> 
> Look, I never said I was _good_ at this RPG thing


	2. Will o' the Bayou

July 16, 2005

Wiggins, MS

| 

Parker sat at my table today. Looking rough, just got done with a hunt as a guess. Looked right at me, had no idea who I was. Guess that weekend few years back meant more to me. I always suspected it did when we didn't hear from Parker or George again for months. We were children anyway. Although over the past year or so, I've been hoping Parker got out, deserved more than this, along with Beth. But Parker didn't, and I've not looked up Josh and Beth in over a year. Guess running and hiding did what I wanted, made me invisible to the hunting community. I mean, if Parker can't recognize an old lover and werewolf while she serves up coffee, chicken, and waffles, then either I've managed to completely hide myself or Parker is shit at the job. I really hope it's the former.

Lydia was on a roll tonight. By shift end, she'd been awake for over 24 hours and spent the last 8 of them rambling about the social justice implications of Lupin being a werewolf and its parallels to homosexuality (apparently Lupin and Black are/were sleeping together? Didn't see much sign of that in the book I was reading, but she's a lot more into it than I am). Tuned her out for most of the night. She did go on a 5 minute rant about wolfsbane potion, economics, and socialized medicine. Not really sure what all she was on about, but she seemed to think it was important.

I wonder what Lydia would do if I ever gave her THE TALK. Probably freak out and try to stake me. 

Wolfsbane Potion. I know Rowling pulled a lot of her material from actual myths. There were rumors when the books first got big that she'd found the UK's hunting community and mined them for information. If it's based on something, and everything else is, why not that, I can find it. If I find it, I can go _home_.

If I'm going home though, I need to get back into hunting shape. And start researching. Why can't authors publish bibliographies? Even if utterly useless in real sources, it would give me a place to start. Home. I'll start looking for something to get back into the game with when I wake up. Too tired right now to sort hunt from fantasy from conspiracy theory.  
  
---|---  
  
July 19, 2005

| 

I should have been looking for the past 2 years. Now that I've started, there's possible hunts everywhere. There always are down here, too much blood in the ground.

In terms of what I can handle, looks like I've got my choice: Pixie Lights gone evil down along the coast or shape shifter varietal in Hattiesburg. I'll need to check, but I've sold off most of my silver, so I guess I'm going for the Fae creature. Iron is cheaper than silver anyway, and rent is due soon.

Guess I'll start getting deeper into that over the next couple of days. Change starts tomorrow, so I'm on days at least.  
  
July 20, 2005

| 

Notes on Pixie Lights

  * World Guide, pg 300; lead folks astray from path, can't find the right path. Can foil once lost by turning one's coat inside out (Devonshire) or hat (Scandinavia)
  * Hinkypunk: 1 legged, lures travels with lantern, incorporeal. Becomes solid in light.
  * Most cultures have some form, almost universally trickster types, not normally evil. Couple of varieties are however, and Tolkien's elves, but even those are a special case.
  * **Kill: iron, salt, fire. Typical Fae.**

There's something strange about this one. The Scandinavian and Irish versions appear to be mostly interested in leading travelers astray and general mischief. This one is acting more like a demon or malevolent spirit. Travelers go astray and then a couple days later, after they've found their way home, start going on crime sprees. A couple have ended with the death of at least one person, others the cops caught before it could get that far. 

Next day off is the day after the change, even get a full weekend. I'll go check this out then.  
  
July 22, 2005

| 

For the first time, I could stay. I could stay here, keep working at Wards, keep my friend? College wasn't and isn't really in the cards, not like Beth or Parker or even Lydia. I've not even managed to get my GED yet. 

I could stay. Forget about hunting. Forget about anything but myself. But knowledge and power and responsibility (heh, I'm spiderman!). And if I can figure out this wolfsbane potion, then I can help others. Help civilians. I could set up my own shop, diner, something to act as a front, be a safe space.

I need to find the wolfsbane potion first. Shouldn't be that hard, make contact with Singer or Murphy, rummage through their libraries, take care of a couple of hunts to get ingredients, brew it up and I'm human again. Home again by my birthday. GED, open a hunter supply shop somewhere near home.

Even if I don't want to hunt anymore, I'm going to have to deal with some things to get there. If nothing else, I have no way to get anyone to trust me right now. And the entire community is based on trust, competence, and respect.

So man up, deal with this hunt down by the coast, and start the search.

Something about this pixie light is wrong. Mischief isn't the same as spreading evil. I'm not looking at a western Fae here. Or maybe... I am and it's not acting in accordance with its nature. Not that I have any idea what could make that happen. Iron Poisoning?

Clearly, I need to get down to Graveline Bayou and poke around. I've got an actual weekend starting tomorrow, so I'll ride down after work this afternoon and see what I can find. College student maybe? If I'm doing to do this, I need to get some fake Ids or something.  
  
July 23, 2005

Graveline Bayou

| 

I should have remembered: small town gossip is always best at either the diner over coffee and pie or at the weekly town bingo game. Totally worth the $2 per card.

Sounds like everyone affected was out in the marshes looking for a good place to set up their duck blinds. They came home a bit late, but not excessively so. Near as I can tell from gossip, that's the only thing these folks have in common: trying to get ahead on duck season by setting their blinds long before it starts. 

Next up: go poke around that area of the marsh and see what pops up.  
  
There is definitely something out there, not a will-o-wisp. Something that senses and rejects other predators. Just as feeling of being watched until near sundown. I'm not sure a civilian would have noticed it, even ones who regularly hunt game. The birds and insects didn't cease, no unnatural quiet. So whatever is there, it's neighbors view it as natural and normal. Not a new being then. Just started hurting folks recently though. Why?

Shortly after sundown, the thing gained a voice behind me. Scared the bejesus out of me. Damn thing, whatever it is, is creepy as fuck. Humanoid, looks like a shrunken head except nose and ears. No idea what I'm dealing with, but I'm certain its not Scots-irish or French. Probably one of the local native American tribes. Which I know nothing about (there were tribes around here, right?) and the library closed hours ago. I'll poke around on Search The Web, see if I can't narrow things down some. Getting the tribe name at least would be helpful.  
  
July 24, 2005

GrMS

| 

Local libraries with university library access are the best thing ever. Also, JSTOR.

  * Local tribe: Choctaw. One of the five 'civilized' tribes; meaning they were easy to convert and colonize until they were no longer useful. 
  * JSTOR: Myths of the LA Choctaw, Bushnell.

Article is nearly 100 years old and is full of questionable conclusions (and period racism), but ID'd what I'm looking at: Nalusa Falaya, the Long Evil Being. Fits what I saw and the pixie lights that have been reported.

> The Nalusa Falaya somewhat resembles man. It is of about the size of a man and walks upright, but its face is shriveled, its eyes are very small and it has quite long, pointed ears. Its nose is likewise long. It lives in the densest woods, near swamps, away from the habitations of men. In some respects it resembles Kashehotapalo.2 Often when hunters are in the woods, far from their homes, late in the day when the shadows have grown long beneath the pine trees, a Nalusa Falaya will come forth. Getting quite near a hunter it will call in a voice resembling that of a man. And some hunters, when they turn and see the Nalusa Falaya, are so affected that they fall to the ground and even become unconscious. And while the hunter is thus prostrated on the ground, it approaches and sticks a small thorn into his hand or foot, and by so doing bewitches the hunter and transmits to him the power of doing evil to others; but a person never knows when he has been so bewitched by the Nalusa Falaya until his actions make it evident. The Nalusa Falaya have many children which, when quite young, possess a peculiar power. They possess the power of removing their viscera at night, and in this lightened condition they become rather small, luminous bodies that may often be seen, along the borders of marshes.

American Anthropologist

New Series, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec., 1910), pp. 526-535

  * Possibly feeding to support kids? That would explain the sudden up-tick in attacks.
  * **Kill: looks like this is a spirit, so salt and iron should kill it.** Doesn't sound like this is a ghost or demon, so no bones to burn. No body to kill. Just a spirit.

Still early enough in the day that I can take care of this tonight and be back home in time to sleep before work tomorrow.  
  
Iron works. Salt doesn't. Just bounced off and got me a puzzled look. Good to know. Hunters need to come up with more efficient ways of trading information. Digitize the books. Create searchable databases.

Anyway- iron bullet to the head and a knife to the heart. Not sure which killed it, but I'll take what I can get. I need to get back in hunting shape. And find someone to spar with. At least I've kept my shooting up to snuff.

3 hours home then work tomorrow. Back to civilian life. Still terrified that I'm going to hurt someone, but I have a plan now at least.


	3. Everyone Hates Wendigos

5/14/06

CoSp, CO

Ɯ-3

| 

Got a call from E. in LA this afternoon: bunch of kids went missing south of Amarillo last week. Authorities found the campsite- looks like it's been torn up by a bear (in Texas???) with further wreckage by coyotes. He's busy with some ghouls in Lafayette, so he asked me to look into it, sounded weird enough to be in my purview. Told him I'd head that way tomorrow. <strike>Need to deal with my problem first.</strike>  
  
---|---  
  
May 15, 2006

CoSp, CO

| 

So sore this morning. Wish this research I'm doing to solve this would yield some results. Nothing really new on that front; just a mention of a link between Dee and some Russian dude. All of which is scrambled between Russian and <strike>Enohia (?)</strike> Enochian.   
  
Did a quick search on Google about weird deaths out near Amarillo. Kinda strange, every brood year for cicadas (17 years), a group of high schoolers go missing-presumed-dead. I hate bugs.

Assuming no weather and plenty of pain killers, should hit hunt sometime this evening.  
  
AmTx

  


_Cycle years: 2006, 1989, 1972, 1955, 1938, 1923 (??)_

| 

That last tuneup did amazing things for travel time. Despite a late start, still arrived before PL closed.  
  
Looks like my original quick search was right. The number of missing-presumed-dead skyrockets the spring of the cyclical cicada swarms. I've never heard of any creepy-crawlies that are both this far south and have this sort of a cycle. Am hitting up the local bar this evening, maybe someone will know something useful  
  
May 16, 06

AmTx

| 

Caught a break!! Twin of one of last cycle's victims was in the bar, very clearly looking to get wasted. (REMINDER: SEND F THANK YOU FOR ID!!). Per Matthew, James and his buddies headed out into the desert to celebrate grad. M was to join them the next afternoon with another load of booze. When he got there the next day, blood everywhere and drag marks leading further into the desert. What M. described is clearly not a bear or coyote attack. Almost sounds like a wendigo? But this far south??

Back to the PL today. And then the hardware store I guess. Fucking wendigos. Fucking flamethrowers. When in doubt, decapitate and burn. <strike>How many times did Mom have me recite that??</strike>  
  
LuTx

| 

Ran out of new material at AmTx PL pretty early, they only had the past 40 years in digital and past 75 on microfiche. Took a wander over to the campsite on my way south to LuTx. It's been a week and a half since these kids went missing and the site still reeks of blood and fear. Those poor kids. At least I was looking for trouble and had a chance.  
  
LuTx PL agrees with AmTx: groups go missing around graduation every 17 years. If I wasn't in TX, I'd be certain I'm dealing with a wendigo. Am going to check out the local NA research library, try to get myself organized. If I'm still clueless, am calling E to check my work.  
  
AmTx

| 

It's a fucking wendigo. Or at least the local equivalent thereof. Same weaknesses, most of the same strengths. Explains why Anasazi symbols affect them. That never did make much sense. Guess I'm going hiking tomorrow.  
  
may 18, 2006

AmTx

| 

Well, that sucked. And I might have started a brush fire. I always forget just how fast those suckers move. These are the hunts where I wish... not that it matters. I can't trust anyone to get close enough to partner. Not when lives (mine) are on the line.

At any rate, the PoS has been torched. It'd been lairing in the rock formations outside of town. Which also happens to be where the local kids like to party. Baddie dead, local townsfolk saved from a menace they didn't know existed. Time for another nap while things heal and then post-hunt boozing. Which I have totally earned by being crazy enough to take on a wendigo without back up. I miss back up.


	4. Deep in the Forests of... Des Moines?

Sept 2 2008

TuAL

| 

Why do all the good Russian resources have to be in fucking AL? Finally go access to the Kuzakou text, apparently 21 is too young to be fluent in multiple languages? At any rate, I found a few more tidbits regarding the change and further links to classical Rome. Increasingly looking like this is going to be simply too dangerous for me, or even most folks, to brew. AkohИt isn't exactly non-toxic.  
  
---|---  
  
Did see something that might be mine up in IA. Called K to have a closer look. She's closer and can tell if it's my sort of thing without me driving for 16 hours. Folks are reporting fresh T-Rex prints? Because that happens.  
  
Sept 4 08

TuAL

| 

K called: not sure what's happening up in DsM, but something has the Bosnian refugees in a tizzy and the local pagan community is acting even stranger than normal. Something is clearly wrong if it's freaking out both those groups. At this point, I don't have enough to do a decent search, let alone start forming conclusions.

K needed to get back to Ames before class, but said to give her a call when I hit DsM and she'd fill me in on anything new. <strike>For someone who wants out, she's not doing a very good job. Not that I'm complaining.</strike>  
  
Sept 6

DsMIA

| 

Time to replace the seat padding on my bike again and she needs another tune up. [NOTE: AVOID 'FORTUNE PALACE BUFFET IN SPMO]. Turned a 16 hour drive into a 2 day drive. K was willing to drive back down to DsM to save me another hour north, apparently DsM bars are better anyway.  
  
  
| 

Updates:

  * T-Rex tracks: only if a T-Rex came 65 million years into the future and had most of it's foot trimmed down. K brought back pictures, I'm not sure what it does belong to, but it's not a dinosaur.
  * Refugees: wave started with one family and spread, so far, only affecting one mosque. K can't determine which family or why, class takes precedence over helping me (can't blame her). What she's describing, talismans against the evil eye, are just as likely to be a region thing as a religion. Possibly more likely to be region.
  * Pagan community: El Bait Shop is apparently the local watering hole for the pagan community. We didn't stand out with our charms and amulets. K did point out that everyone who looked like they belonged... was wearing red and silver bracelets. Also, none of the coven's had outdoor meetings last full moon, and there are none planned for this month. Now, the bracelet thing I can chalk up as identifying marks, most religions have them. But Pagans not going to the woods? That's alarming.

Something has this town running scared. What's the link between pagans and Bosnian refugees though?  
  
K drove back to AmIA so she can get her homework done and I'm on my own tomorrow. I really need to keep her out of this as much as possible. She has her own life, a way to get out permanently. So few of the legacies get that chance, I'm not going to let this ruin hers. <strike>I hope E has the chance; 17 next month. Longer as a human than me.</strike>  
  
September 7, 2008

DsMIA

| 

  * **Tracks:** No one around the mosque this morning so went in search of these “T-Rex” tracks. Nice walk in the September sunshine along one of the less popular trails. Or at least, it was less popular until some frat boy brought his girl out here and tripped over some huge-ass footprints. A few have been mangled, but a couple are still in pretty good shape. Snapped a couple more photos to search for later.
  * **Pagans:** Headed back to El Bait Shop (seriously, most ridiculous name for a bar ever) so I can figure out what's freaked out the Pagans. Per Bartender: 

Couple days after tracks were discovered, leaders of local coven were out setting up ritual space for full moon Sabbat, heard a freakishly loud racket. Freaked them right out, but no one really thought much of it.

Week later, Molly (who is part of the local community) went on her annual weekend before school trip, plan was to leave Saturday morning, spend Saturday and Sunday completely fucked up, and be home in time for her TA job Monday morning. When she wasn't home by Monday evening, her twin, Emily, went looking for her. Emily's body was found Tuesday morning near the trail head, burned and the eyes pecked out. 

Weird thing is that Molly showed up, hungover but alive, to her class on Wednesday, convinced that it was 8/25 and she was only gone for the weekend as planned.

Overnight, word got put around that SOMETHING wasn't right and most pagans started weaving red and silver bracelets.

Bartender wasn't able provide any insight into why the Bosnians were freaking out, but did point out the mosque is less than 2 blocks from the state park where all this is happening.

Clearly, E's death was related to this. So there is a body count, it just wasn't popping up when K searched. 

    * Molly ph#: 515-867-5309
    * Jessica (Emily's girlfriend) ph# 515-867-5491  
  
Finally, sundown. 1 more stop, then I can go pass out. Although I should probably find a scarf to cover my hair. And possibly a new shirt.  
  
Ok, maybe I should have timed that better. Wasn't really planning on attending prayer. Eh, it's good for me; maybe one of the gatekeepers will have mercy on me. And at least I wasn't the only one there in jeans. Women in congregation ID'd Violeta Gudelj's family as the start. Her grandson wandered into the wood while they were having a picnic. No one knew what exactly happened, but the entire family showed up to Start of Ramadan prayer wearing the talismans. Only the refugees and their families are wearing them though, so it's a region thing, not a religion thing.  
  
Sept 8

| 

I've had interviews go worse than today did, but I'm hard pressed to come up with one in particular right now. All 3 of the girls lived together, so of course Molly and Jessica have influenced each other.

  * Molly: admits she was tripping the entire time she was in the forest. Remembers seeing a red rider then a black rider before finding a hut in the forest. A woman asked her for help weeding her garden (surrounded by a fence) and M happily (stoned-ly) helped. Saw “Gandolf” ride by [CLARIFICATION: a white rider], followed by the same red and black riders. At some point, the woman fed her, black bread and hard cheese, before resuming work on the garden and repairing the fence. M thinks she remembers some screeching at some point, but isn't sure. Fell asleep as the trip was fading, woke up near her car. Changed and went home to campus. Doesn't understand how she lost 3 days without losing her trip. 

I don't really understand it either, but it's not uncommon for that to happen.

  * Jess: absolutely nothing useful. E was worried sick about M, went in search of her. Called Monday night with no results. A morning jogger found her Tuesday morning. No mention of screeching, no riders, no huts, old women, fences or gardens. Almost as if they were in different forests.

This doesn't fit with any creature I've ever heard of. Maybe if M wasn't so freaking stoned, I could get somewhere.

Back to the Mosque tonight. I think Violeta and Amelia can probably shed a lot of light on this. Description I got on Sunday, sounds like she might know exactly what's going on.   
  
No Gudelj family at tonight's potluck either. Googling what I've currently got: screeching, riders, folk lore; pulls up banshee and ghost riders. Pretty sure it's not a banshee since not everyone who sees it dies. Ghost riders have so many possible permutations that it's near impossible to narrow it down- and there's like 5 different types, all with different ways to dealing with them.

Guess I'm back at square 1. Enochian grammar it is. Eventually, it'll just click, right?  
  
9/9

| 

Paper this morning says the frat boy who discovered the tracks is dead. Upstanding young man, member of Γ Τ, leading in his community, blah blah. The usual shit when some douche dies and they don't want to speak ill of the dead. Sean Roberts, cause of death: unknown. Roommate Mike added to interview list.

Finally made contact with V. Asked me to come over after evening prayer so she can proper offer hospitality. If she wants to feed me and have a cup of tea while we talk, I'm not going to say no. Conveniently, Amelia lives with her grandmother during Ramadan.  
  
  * Amelia: was playing hide and seek with some friends, needed abetter hiding place, so she followed a trail. She wandered into a clearing with a hut and a garden. Once more, she helped her with some weeding (Midwest kids are so nice and respectful, helping old ladies with their chores). Got into a game of riddles with the old woman/ woods witch, which he won. Smart kid. She traded yard work for passage back to her friends and family. Says there was something strange about the house foundations, but she didn't look very close. The cat told her she needed to challenge the witch if she didn't want to stay for days.
  * V: Heard A's story and immediately pressed the charm on him. When they got home, started hanging charms in the house, then in the houses of A's friends. It just spread from there. She doesn't know the English name and Croatian is far enough from Russian that I'm clueless. Just kept saying it was the big woods witch.  
  
I'm missing something. This sounds like something straight out of a fairy tale: old woman in the woods asking kindly strangers for help, riddle games, 3 riders, smiting those who declined to assist her. But fairy tales are no more real than angels. What am I missing?  
  
Need to interview that Sean kid's roommate tomorrow. Gods, kid. He was probably older than me. This life. This curse. It'll kill me someday, either by silver or tooth. It all ends bloody, always.  
  
Sept 10, 2008

DsM

| 

Should not be that hard for a decent looking chick to gain access to a frat boy's room. Although I suppose I'm not Sean's normal type. Took over an hour, but finally talked my way into Sean's room to talk to roommate Mike.

  * M: Sean's been obsessed with those tracks, headed out every couple of days to try to find more. Called Sunday afternoon, at about 430, babbling about a talking cat and a birch tree that wanted a ribbon (so it could be pretty?). He was heading back to the parking lot at that time. M never heard from him again.

I really need to pick up some of those magic hacker skills they show on TV So much easier to get autopsy reports when it doesn't rely on the coroner to be in a bar and attracted enough to women that plying them with drinks to gets you somewhere besides punched in the face. I'll be wearing that bruise for a day or two. Seductive route failed. Time for some thrilling heroics. Or crime. Whatever.  
  
Thank gods that all these little towns and suburbs have independent police departments that are also interconnected. And the Norwalk PD administrative areas are woefully under-secure, particularly their computers. 

Official cause of death: Tripped and fell. Photos... look like something crushed him. Like an anvil. So... going to supernatural death on this one. 

I just hope I got in and out without missing a camera. Last thing I need is for folks to come looking for me. K, after all, probably knows more than I think she does.

Sleep now. Maybe my brain will make sense of this all when I wake  
  
Sept 11, 08

| 

The TRACKS!! They're the key. ID those, ID the monster. Id the monster, save the town. Monsters hunting monsters. Off to the library.  
  
At least DsM has a decent PL. They're chicken tracks... blown up to an enormous scale. Looks like I'm looking at Baba Yaga. Chicken leg hut, mortar and pestle riding Russian witch who has a history of rewarding the innocent and harming the ill-intentioned or foolish. Next question is, of course, what is a Russian goddess/ Fae doing in fucking DsM? And how do I make her go away? Decent PL or not, that's going to require an excellent folklore section. A big one. 

I am cutting this _so fucking close_. Change in 3 days. So close. What am I going to do if I'm not finished? I can't very well ask K to drop everything and finish up when I can't. She's _out._  
  
Sept 12

| 

Spending all day in the library (public and bar) certainly hasn't made me feel any better. Oh, Baba Yaga, surely there's lots of lore on her right? Yes. And every single bit of it is contradictory. I've found what may be a way to kill her (maybe), but I'd rather not do that. Or even threaten it. This close, I'm not sure I can keep things under control if I start killing.

Fuck. This is taking too long. Fuck Fuck Fuck. At least there's something to do: find some fucking Speckled Alder. Does this popsicle stand of a town even have an arboretum? Fucking hell.  
  
Sept 13, 08

AmIA

| 

DsM does have an arboretum... that consists almost entirely of freaking crabapple trees. Because Iowa.

At least the State uni library had something useful. Well, some meta-analysis bullshit that uses too many words to say simple things, but upshot: BY is the cultural embodiment of a need to respect and assist ones elders lest they die without imparting all their wisdom... or some such wank. So much wank.

Any rate, treat her like any other respected elder and she should stop killing people. Which is problematic in it's own right: who can I convince to help an old goddess with her yard work? And now I have less than 24 hours to solve this. Fuck Fuck Fuck.

First stop: El Bait Shop. If they have a bar, the pagans have an enduring presence. Maybe one of the covens will volunteer? Probably placing too much hope in the kindness of strangers, but not real sure what other option I have. Not like I'm in contact with the local pack (if there is one?) to see if they could be bothered. And I'm certainly not going to stick around for the rest of my life and do it.  
  
DsMIA

| 

Bartender has a knack for faces and drinks, slid over a dark and stormy as soon as I sat down. I look that rough? But she's nice and flirty, and I'm pretty sure in the know. Any other time...

At any rate, she's going to set up a meeting tomorrow with a few of the more stable coven leaders. Hopefully, at least one of them will be willing to take on care and feeding duties.  
  
September 14

DsM

Ɯ-1

| 

Ok, 1 spool of ribbon, 1 large cured ham, 1 artisan hand-crafted broom. And one coven who just learned that everything that goes bump in the night is real, but is still willing to act as a seal.

I'm out of time. No time to run from the population centers. No time. Handcuffs and silver. Grateful I have no neighbors to my room. Must keep control. Not safe. Not safe. Control.  
  
September 15

DsM

Ɯ-2

| 

I am exhausted. Doesn't feel like there was any sleep at all last night, even if I awoke in the same place and condition as when the moon rose (bar a few burns where the cuffs dug in, but that doesn't count.) It's been 5 years, and I don't have any better grip now than I did then.

Meeting with Mistress Lexi at noon. Introduce her and BY and start praying that this works.  
  
That... actually went pretty well. BY accepted the gifts and agreed to stop killing folks who don't give her a hand. L agreed that either she or another memberwould come help out every couple of weeks.

Nice, peaceful, and oh so very vodka. I'm pretty sure I made sure L knew that any black magic would result in me coming back to town. Weird, drunk off my ass, riding near the change, and nothing rose. I was in control. Maybe I need to look up some other Russian folklore.  
  
8/16

Ɯ-3

| 

Well, the presence of BY might inhibit day changes, but does nothing overnight.And I wrecked the room. Lucky I didn't get out.

Another problem solved, another life saved, another town I can never return to. Story of my life lately. Spending the day working on my Enochian. Too sore to do much else, even if the wounds themselves are healed. 

I'm thinking Northern California in a day or two. Its too close to them, but I miss home. Maybe stop in and have a look. I can't let them see me, but maybe I can drop something off for E. Do I even know what she likes anymore?  
  
Sept 18, 2008

DsM

| 

Looks like BY has been pacified. Nothing new over the past couple of days, and when I went by the clearing earlier today, L was there chatting while doing some mending. This might actually work.

In the mean time, huge amounts of demon sign popping up in IL, so I'm getting as far away from that shit as I can. Last thing the world needs is me as a demon.


	5. Failed Transmutation Circles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that's a FMA reference. It's the only one.

April 26, 2010

BeNH

| 

Well, this trip was a massive waste of time. Another bust searching for a decent potions master. Not even worth the cost of the gas this time. He knew all the right phrases to drop into an email, bu has no more idea of how to brew a proper potion than I know how to fly. Didn't even know how to do a simple tracking potion when I brought everything he needed.

Planning on heading over to the Appalachian trail for the change. Early enough in the season that if I stay off the trail proper, I should be ok. And frankly, I'm sick of motel rooms and running. Just want a break.  
  
---|---  
  
Rattle River Entrance, AT

(MM 1880.4)

| 

Well, maybe not a complete waste of time. Looks like there's a hunt here after all. A bunch of dogs have gone missing and they found a hiker's body a few days ago, dead, torn up, and burned. Why do they always call things bear attacks? The locals have their doubts. One of the hunters in the shop said it looked more like a big cat had taken a swipe before the dude rolled over into his fire. Rangers are trying to keep the trail closed, but it's a pretty porous border.

It's barely 11 am and moon rise isn't until after 7. Guess I can hike out like I was planning. If this does turn out to be a hunt, even better. Might as well be useful while trying to keep from murdering folks. Sending a quick message to a couple other folks letting them know what's going on and that I'm on it.  
  
April 27, 2010

Imp Shelter (MM 1872.4)

Ɯ-1

| 

Per the ranger, the body was found in one of gullies along Mount Moriah, mm 1874.5. 

Signs around trail point towards a chimera around here. Most of the big prey animals are gone and all of the large predators. Exactly like one would expect when a bigger and better predator moves in. Scent markings on trees, scrapes on the bark and ashes. No hikers near by at least. Problem is that there are simply not any known, good, ways to kill one. Pegasi aren't common, ones that have been trained to work with humans even less so, and even if I had access to one that would work with me, a lead tipped lance is a pain in the ass to carry around. Decapitate and burn, right? Always.  
  
4/28/10

MM 1872.4

Ɯ-2

| 

Awoke this morning covered in burns and blood. I don't remember anything past sundown. I hurt, so bad. It's been a while since I've hurt this much. But then, I've also never deliberately tangled with a monster while changed before. At any rate, I need to go find the body before some day hiker comes through. We do not need someone coming down with chimera poisoning because they were curious. Looks like claws are useful to have around anyway, good for spell and potion components.   
  
Something was with me last night. 4 of the thing's claws have blood on them, fairly fresh. I'm burning those. 3 full claws, and a whole mess of partials. Will probably sell off the fulls and most of the partials, I think. Pretty sure Salem is on my way south. Or at least, it can be on my way south.  
  
April 29

Carter Notch

(MM 1865.2)

Ɯ-3

| 

I really should remember to get outside for the change as much as possible. I don't feel nearly as out of control as I normally do by 3rd night. Clearly this is something I need to teach myself over and over again. Went ahead and grabbed some scales while I burning the body, can't remember if they're good for anything. They're light weight at least, so I'll carry them.

Strange how very vacation like this has been. Go play in the woods, kill the monster of the week, hike out, carry on with life. Is this how other hunters do it? How they can erase the everyday horror of our lives? They're not constantly riding a line to keep themselves in check. This is what I miss about being human, the release of control. Can't wait to figure out this damn potion so I can go back. So I can see my family again. So I can make friends again.  
  
April 30, 2010

Pinkham Notch

(MM 1859.3)

| 

And back to reality I go. Need to hitch back to my car and then find a place to go next. Check my email, see if anyone has turned up who might be useful. Find someone to hawk the claws and scales in Salem on my way south. 


End file.
